Slovenian Prime Minister Launches 1001 Inventions In Ljubljana

Ljubljana, 1st April 2015: The Slovenian Prime Minister, Dr. Miro Cerar, was guest of honour at a VIP gala event celebrating the launch of the award-winning 1001 Inventions exhibition at the GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre (Gospodarsko razstavišče) today. More than 400 guests were in attendance to hear Dr. Cerar officially welcome the exhibition for its central European premiere in the heart of his nation’s capital.

Visitors to this exhibition will be introduced to an exciting, but under-appreciated, era in the history of science known as “The Golden Age of Muslim Civilization”. It was a time when men and women of different faiths, of different cultures, worked together to better understand the world around them, and to improve the quality of life for others in their society.

The blockbuster 1001 Inventions interactive exhibition has more than sixty exhibits, spread across seven zones, which highlight many different areas of our modern life that are connected to the achievements of scientists and scholars from the historic Muslim Civilization.

There is a common belief that the 20th century was so far the one when science prospered the most. Never in the history of humankind has the development of science, technologies, and inventions been so rapid. Man invented the car, the plane, penicillin, a heart was transplanted for the first time, astronauts travelled to the Moon and back.

We developed a social state and strengthened democracy and human rights. Not everywhere, of course, and in many places not enough. But there is a big progress. Unfortunately, the 20th century also witnessed inventions which brought humankind during two world wars and many local wars and conflicts in an era of deep darkness. But even in the worst darkness, there is germ of new light, and this very big ambivalence is a call that all ideas, inventions and human activities must be monitored by our hearts.

A long time ago, our hearts invented or discovered love and humanity, which should be the fundamental motif of every true researcher. And when the mind and the heart are united in the best sense, their inventions serve the good and noble in each of us - and this is what we need to strive for, individually and together, in the 21st century.

So may the beginning of the 21st century be a special challenge for humankind. Let’s pave the road to this century with a great measure of hope and striving for peace, knowledge, respect to everything living, and a sustainable development of human society. May we be inspired, encouraged and helped also by the golden era of Islam civilization and all its inventions and other achievements which keepexciting our spirit, awakening a desire for the new, the good and the best in us."

We are delighted to be bringing our award-winning exhibition to this beautiful and historic city, in a nation that sits at the cross-roads of civilizations.

1001 Inventions began more than 10 years ago in the United Kingdom, and since then has championed a global educational campaign that’s engaged over 200 million people around the world, through films, blockbuster exhibitions, schools programmes and educational materials.

Our objective is to inspire our future generations of scientists to rise up to modern challenges and make a positive and beneficial impact on our world."

Ahmed Salim, Producer and Director of 1001 Inventions

The GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre has previously played host to numerous science and culture exhibitions from around the world, and will be home to 1001 Inventions for the next three months.

Since it launched at the renowned London Science Museum in 2010, the multi-lingual 1001 Inventions exhibitions have welcomed more than six million visitors across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. More than 200 million have engaged with its global educational campaign, and it was recognized as the world’s best touring exhibition at the Museum and Heritage Awards 2011.

1001 Inventions is also a founding partner of the International Year of Light 2015 (IYL2015), and is working with UNESCO to celebrate the achievements of the brilliant polymath Ibn al-Haytham, whose achievements in optics, astronomy, mathematics and many other areas were hugely influential for Renaissance scientists.

1001 Inventions will be open daily, from the 2nd of April to the 2nd of July, at the GR –Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre from 9am to 8pm. Further information can be found at www.1001izum.si including ticket prices, location and details of special events taking place to complement the exhibition.

About 1001 Inventions

1001 Inventions is an award-winning, British based organization that creates international educational campaigns and engaging transmedia productions aiming to raise awareness of the contributions to science, technology and culture from the Golden Age of Muslim Civilization.

For one thousand years from the 7th century onwards, inspirational men and women, of different faiths and cultures built upon knowledge of ancient civilizations, making discoveries that have had a huge and often underappreciated impact on our world. In an area that spread from Spain to China, this Golden Age of Muslim Civilization saw fascinating advancements in science and technology that helped pave the way for the European Renaissance.